Oh? Quelle Surprise!

52 percent of reporters: Media does a poor job explaining religion

Further commentary may be found here, as offered by our friend, Yale's Walter Russell Mead:

This doesn’t just tell us something about the qualifications of journalists. It says something depressing about the ability of editors to hire people with the background and the knowledge that allow them to cover world events intelligently. With some significant and honorable individual exceptions, the mainstream press today lacks the expertise it needs to assess and report some of the most important stories on the planet.

False panics over alleged theocracies lurking under every bush (haha), inability to analyze or cover major news stories involving Islam, and a persistent overestimation of global support for the secular rights-driven agenda that serves much of the MSM as a guiding ideology in lieu of religion can all be traced back to the religious illiteracy of so many journalists today.

The Whole Church/State Thing Is A Bit Of A Canard, Eh?

Tennessee Mother Faces Possible Jail Time For Baptizing Children

I Think I Should Introduce The Principal To My Scottish Cousins. The Male Ones.

Teenager banned from wearing kilt to his high school prom by school officials who 'wanted him to dress like a man'.

The principal, the judge of all things "manly", will not speak to the press.

Another Obituary Of Note

You would not believe how much of the music you have heard was courtesy of this fellow:

Guitar amp pioneer Jim Marshall dies at 88

Jesus Sighting! Aquatic Edition

Charleston woman sees Jesus on back of stingray

Anti-Christian Violence Continues

50 people killed in Easter Sunday bombings in Nigeria

[Above is a photo of our bishops protesting last week on behalf of Connecticut's convicted murderers.]

Update:  It was suggested that my comment about the photo seemed snarky.  That wasn't my intention.  I just wanted a different headline that those of area media.  So, how about "Our bishops representing a political perspective this past week"?  No, that's either too vague or even snarkier, as it seems to suggest that they're merely representing only one of the state's political parties.  How about, "Our bishops protesting state-sponsored murder"?  Wait, that sounds like they're anti-abortion, which they definitely aren't.  I know, "All three of our full-time bishops unite to protest capital punishment."  Dull.  How about New York Post-style: "Prosaic and Peaceful Protest by Protestant Progressives"?  Yes, that's the winner.

I used to work for an editor who would never run stories about Protestant clergy involved in a protest.  "Why?" he would ask, "Every headline would be 'Liberal bishop does something liberal.  That's not news."

Oh, and the reason I juxtaposed the photo with the link is to visually remark on how easy we have it as Christians in the USA.  Here, we protest on behalf of murderers.  In Nigeria, we get murdered.

The Definition Of Hell Can Be Highly Subjective

“Along with the first truly beautiful day of the year, my son and I had our first ruined day at the playground,” the poster named Sarah somberly recounted. “Two different people came into the actual playground with ice cream/Italian ice push carts. I was able to avoid it for a little while but eventually I left with a crying 4-year-old.”  Another angry mother...chimed in.  “I should not have to fight with my children every warm day on the playground just so someone can make a living!” the poster wailed.

An Obituary Of Note

The kind of writer only America could produce.

In Case You Didn't See It Last Week...

...here's a profile of our organist and choir director that appeared in the Litchfield County Times.  It appears he also has a few other interests, too.

Roxbury's Piano Man, Attorney, Board Member, Musician

Collect For Easter Monday

Grant, we pray, Almighty God, that we who celebrate with awe the Paschal feast may be found worthy to attain to everlasting joys; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

[Just as a personal exercise in thankfulness, which is entirely appropriate for Easter Week, I thought I'd illustrate the collects with photos of things for which I'm thankful.  It's a rather eclectic collection.]

My shoulders hurt a little, like after a morning in rough surf. My knee cracks when I kneel. I'm a little tired from waking up in the middle of the night when realizing that there's an error in the order of service. But, Jesus is resurrected, risen, re-born and I feel great.

Welcome, happy morning, everyone.

Collect For Holy Saturday

O God, Creator of heaven and earth: Grant that, as the crucified body of your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath, so we may await with him the coming of the third day, and rise with him to newness of life; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Collect For Good Friday

Almighty God, we pray you graciously to behold this your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed, and given into the hands of sinners, and to suffer death upon the cross; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Collect For Maundy Thursday

Almighty Father, whose dear Son, on the night before he suffered, instituted the Sacrament of his Body and Blood: Mercifully grant that we may receive it thankfully in remembrance of Jesus Christ our Lord, who in these holy mysteries gives us a pledge of eternal life; and who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Just in time for Holy Week, the phone in the parish office is out. A.T. & T. is working on it.

[Update: Yay, A.T.&T.]

Holy Week Schedule

Palm Sunday:  Holy Eucharist at 8am; Eucharist with the Great Procession at 10am.  [Remember that we are meeting in the parish hall to bless and receive the palms before the liturgy.

Holy Wednesday: 7:00pm Evening Prayer

Maundy Thursday: 7:30pm Proper Liturgy including the Stripping of the Altar.

Good Friday: Stations of the Cross at Noon; the Proper Liturgy at 7:00pm.
Holy Saturday: 7:00 pm The Great Vigil of Easter.

Easter Sunday: Music and Celebration at both 8am and 10:00am.

Collect For Holy Wednesday

Lord God, whose blessed Son our Savior gave his body to be whipped and his face to be spit upon: Give us grace to accept joyfully the sufferings of the present time, confident of the glory that shall be revealed; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Collect For Holy Tuesday

O God, by the passion of your blessed Son you made an instrument of shameful death to be for us the means of life: Grant us so to glory in the cross of Christ, that we may gladly suffer shame and loss for the sake of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Collect For Holy Monday

Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Lenten Wave #40

Let no one grieve at his poverty,
for the universal kingdom has been revealed.
Let no one mourn that he has fallen again and again;
for forgiveness has risen from the grave.
Let no one fear death, for the Death of our Savior has set us free.
He has destroyed it by enduring it.
—John Chrysostom, bishop of Constantinople; sermon, ca. 400